HOPE 4 Youth ENews

Mikayla's Story: A Senior Prom Fit For A Princess

A senior in high school experiences many milestones in just a short year – one of these being senior prom. A few weeks ago, one of the young people, Mikayla, who calls HOPE Place home was able to attend her senior prom at Anoka High School and in the days and hours leading up to prom she was able to experience all that goes along with it.

Her prom experience began the first Friday in April when she, along with our Director of Programs, Sara, and HOPE Place Case Manager, Mica, set out to find the perfect dress for her to say “yes” to. Like most young women, Mikayla wanted her dress to sparkle – the more bling the better. She tried on many dresses before her face lit up while trying on a pink, sparkly dress that Sara pulled for her to try on. Mikayla did not attend her junior prom, nor had she owned a formal dress, so when she said “yes” to this dress there were many smiles on the faces of the people who support her.

The following weeks brought a few more shopping trips to find the perfect jewelry, purse and shoes. She was most nervous about finding the right shoes as she wasn’t quite sure about how high her heels should be. Sara helped her find a short heel and suggested bringing flats with because as most women who attended prom know, the shoes will come off during the dance.

On the day of prom, Mikayla was “glammed up” as she said by Sara’s daughter Kyla. Kyla spent the morning at HOPE Place styling Mikayla’s hair and applying her makeup. Mikayla couldn’t believe how she looked when she saw herself in the mirror. She asked, “Is that me?” Kyla responded that it’s just her natural beauty from the inside highlighted on the outside.” Mikayla then slipped into her dress so Sara could take a picture to share with all of you as many of you reading this made senior prom possible for Mikayla. To which Mikayla would like to say, “If not for moving into HOPE Place, I wouldn’t have gone to prom. The support from everyone at HOPE 4 Youth continues to surprise her.” In the end, Mikayla had a fabulous time.

Mikayla is now looking forward to another high school milestone, graduation. Her plans for post-graduation include college with the goal of becoming an Emergency Room Physician.

Mikayla adds, "Without HOPE 4 Youth and HOPE Place, I would either be in a shelter or on the streets. Being in these programs has given me a positive outlook on what being an adult can be like and how to achieve things I couldn’t achieve on my own.” Mikayla is able to achieve her goals because there are people like you behind the scenes supporting HOPE 4 Youth and we thank you for that!

Introducing Andréa Kish-Bailey, HOPE 4 Youth's New

Vice President of Advancement

It is with great excitement that I announce Andréa Kish-Bailey has joined HOPE 4 Youth as its new Vice President of Advancement.

Andréa brings with her a deep and rich background, having held leadership roles in Programming, Fund Development, and as an Executive Director in other Human Services nonprofit organizations, most recently having spent the past four years as the Executive Director of the White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf. Over the past 20 years Andréa has pursued a well-rounded career, starting as the Assistant Director of Volunteer Services at The Salvation Army. She has remained passionate about serving in organizations that support a community of caring, such as, Catholic Charities, Loaves & Fishes, and Frankie’s Friends, among others. Andréa has experience in high-growth organizations and understands the importance of creating an organization that provides confidence to constituents and donors, through serving clients well. She has focused on leading teams by ensuring that strategies are well laid out, and measurements are in place so that external organizations who review the quality and outcomes of nonprofit organizations will provide the highest ratings possible.

Andréa has earned her B.A. in Communications Studies; Mini-MBA for nonprofit management, and Institute of Executive Director Leadership Certification, all from the University of St. Thomas.

Please join me in welcoming Andréa to HOPE 4 Youth. We look forward to all that she will bring as HOPE 4 Youth continues to meet the needs of homeless youth while growing to prevent youth homelessness.

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Inspiring HOPE Luncheon: Inspire Youth Experiencing Homelessness to Achieve the Future They Dream Of

Inspire youth to achieve the future they dream of! The Inspiring HOPE Luncheon benefiting HOPE 4 Youth supports young people experiencing homelessness right here in our community. This is one-hour, emceed by Rena Sarigianopoulos of KARE 11, that will change your life as well as the lives of our youth.

What • Inspiring HOPE Luncheon

When • Tuesday, June 11, 2019; 11:30 a.m. Registration, Noon – 1 p.m. Luncheon

Where • Edinburgh USA (8700 Edinbrook Crossing Brooklyn Park, MN 55443)

Cost • There is no cost to attend the Luncheon, as it is sponsored; there will be an opportunity to make a gift at the conclusion of the program.

Questions? Contact Kate Ziegler, Community Outreach and Events Manager, at [email protected] or 763.323.2066, ext. 114.

Sponsorship Opportunities • For more information or to confirm your sponsorship, contact Kate Ziegler at [email protected] or 763.323.2066, ext. 114.

Housing Navigation: Housing Our Youth in the Community

Finding housing for young people experiencing homelessness is not always easy. There are many steps they must take to become "housing ready". Take for example Taylor’s story.

Taylor walked through our Drop-In Center doors for the first time during the winter of 2015 at the age of 17. She had been couch- hopping for some time and simply wanted a place she could call home.

Taylor visited HOPE 4 Youth frequently and utilized the services and resources available to her, including eating the hot meal that is served every day, accessing the food pantry and clothing closet, and meeting regularly with a Case Manager. She worked closely with her Case Manager to formulate a plan to end her couch-hopping. She knew that employment was only the first step in her plan and her Case Manager discussed with her the need to budget her money so she could save up for a deposit and first and last month’s rent. The goal was not just to get Taylor housing ready, but to set her up for success.

Recently, Taylor visited the Drop-In Center and told her Case Manager that she was able to save up the money they had discussed. It could not have been better timing as there was a cottage down the street that had availability and was ready for the next "housing ready" youth from HOPE 4 Youth, which just happened to be Taylor. The next day Taylor and her Case Manager took a tour of the cottage and Taylor agreed it would be the perfect first apartment. Our Housing Heroes then helped make her house a home by providing her with a bed and dresser for her bedroom, a microwave, dishes and pots and pans for the kitchen, and many other basic items she was in need of. This is our Housing Navigation 4 Youth Program at its best!

Our work with Taylor does not end just because she is housed. Taylor will continue to meet with her Case Manager to discuss questions or concerns about living on her own and her Case Manager will continue to teach her the importance of continuing to budget and save for situations that may arise so she can be successful in her life.

Drop-In Center: A Cold Winter for Our Youth

It was a cold winter and our youth who had nowhere to call home visited the Drop-in Center many times to meet their basic needs, especially accessing warm clothes and eating a hot meal.

During the winter, our Director of Programs, Sara, and Case Managers at the Drop-In Center were able to help the youth who truly needed it whether it was during open or closed center hours. Sara, carries our outreach phone 24/7 so she can help youth like Jessica and David.

On a cold Saturday night, Sara answered a frantic call from a mother who was concerned about her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend who were sleeping in the woods. The two had been couch-hopping and were kicked-out of that house leaving them with nowhere to go but in the woods with only blankets.

Sara immediately contacted a local shelter to make sure there was room for them. She then coordinated transportation with the mother who called and the two youth were able to stay in the shelter through the weekend. Both youth came in on Monday and thanked HOPE 4 Youth for saving their lives.

These are just two youth who we’ve helped through our outreach phone. We receive calls every day from parents, teachers, case managers and youth who are in need of help. And we answer the phone when it rings because that is why HOPE 4 Youth is here - to help the young people who need us at all times!

Opening Doors for Our Youth

Employment is necessary to move youth out of homelessness. Through our Opening Doors Program, our Case Managers connect youth to employment opportunities every day both in the community and through our partnership with the Anoka County Workforce Center.

Some days it may be as simple as helping a youth obtain an ID so they can get employment. Other days it's connecting with the youth to find their strengths and what they can bring to a new employment opportunity. Once job strengths have been identified we help them apply for the best fitting jobs.

Once they are hired, we work with many of the youth on being responsible on the job, showing up on time, learning to work with people who have a difference of opinion and more.

We recently transported several of our youth to the Anoka Technical College Career Fair. In the weeks leading up to the career fair, staff and mentors worked with the youth to write their resumes, prepare answers for interview questions and give advice on appearance including interview attire found in our clothing closet.

On the day of the career fair several youth came into the Drop-In Center early to shower and access clothing appropriate for the day. We hope to update you soon on the progress the youth have been making since attending the job fair.

HOPE 4 Youth On Wheels: Helping Youth in our Communities

We continue to reach young people experiencing homelessness where they are located through our outreach in the community and schools. Our Case Manager Eddie continues to outreach in Columbia Heights as we know there are many youth in that community who don’t have the transportation means to visit our Drop-In Center.

Every Wednesday Eddie parks the HOPE 4 Youth van at United Methodist Community Church to provide youth with information about HOPE 4 Youth and basic necessities packed in our outreach bags.

Eddie also visits the local library, gas stations, transit stations and other places youth might be. He has done several intakes in Columbia Heights and without HOPE 4 Youth being in their community the youth would not have known about what we can do to help.

Prevention Programs: Preventing Youth From Ever Having to Walk Through Our Doors in The Future

One of our goals in 2019 was to begin focusing on prevention, while continuing to help youth who are already homeless through our Drop-In Center and HOPE Place. Our community has continued to step up and draw a line in the sand along with us stating that we can't just create and run programs that are there to help youth after they become homeless.

Our Committee to End Youth Homelessness worked in consultation with the State Office to Prevent and End Homelessness and completed its work and transitioned into new pilot programs focusing on prevention. All of our work is now a part of the new HOPE Movement. We have done a great deal of work around root cause and leading indicators. Our HOPE Movement pilot at Excell Academy in Brooklyn Park aligns a team of positive adults who commit to travelling with a class of students for a number of years to be there as the leading indicators of youth homelessness appear early in their lives. We are addressing those needs in real-time, in partnership with the teachers, in an effort to get in the way of the leading indicators.

Additionally, as we were looking at other housing options that don't require building more buildings, we were introduced to Jacqueline White of the MN Host Home Network, now called CloseKnit. We recently received a Pohlad grant to create a permanent connections program in an effort to assist couch-hopping youth land on one couch through graduation, thus stopping the hopping. That work is also beginning in our Drop-In Center.

HOPE Place: A "Home" Helping Youth Move Forward

Many of the young people at HOPE Place have been taking steps forward to achieve their goals - becoming independent, self-sustaining adults.

One of these youth, Sabrie, moved into HOPE Place this past January and immediately began working on goals she set with our Case Manager to move her towards becoming an independent, self-sufficient young adult. One of Sabrie’s goals was finding an employment pathway to a future career. With the help of the Anoka County Workforce Center, she has now passed her certification test for the Administrative Assistant Course at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and is taking additional classes to further her administrative abilities.

Another young person, recently graduated from high school, obtained employment, started college, and has now moved out of HOPE Place into market rate housing. We look forward to hearing about all she will continue to accomplish as she moves forward.

As youth move on into their own stable housing, we continue to welcome new youth to HOPE Place. Two youth recently moved in have already started on their pathway towards their future. They have been working with the Anoka County Workforce to find employment - attending job fairs-, connecting with health and other resources they need, and are looking at moving their lives forward.

We’re proud of the goals all the youth are achieving in such a short time and know that with support from our community they will achieve all of their goals!

hope's closet resale boutique: 100% of profits go to HOPE 4 Youth

hope’s closet is a trendy resale boutique filled with high-quality, gently-used donated women’s clothing (all sizes), jewelry, accessories and shoes, small-household decor and gift items.

Fabulous new items are added to the boutique daily as the community continues to generously donate; donations are accepted during all open hours. Don't just take our word about all the fabulous items, shop the boutique yourself to see what you can find. 100% of the profits raised at hope's closet go back to HOPE 4 Youth's program

Resale Boutique Hours:

Monday – Friday • Noon – 7 PM,

Saturday • 10 AM – 2 PM

Sunday • Closed

Located: 11350 Aquila Drive North, Suite 905, Champlin, Minnesota 55316

Questions? Call 612.395.4479 or email [email protected] .

Partners 4 Youth

HOPE 4 Youth cannot end youth homelessness by ourselves. It takes an entire community investing in our youth, and together we are going to end it – as Partners 4 Youth .

Since opening our doors in 2013, businesses, civic organizations, faith groups, individuals, and many others have helped make sure HOPE 4 Youth is able to provide young people experiencing homelessness with the tools they need to thrive. Partners 4 Youth is your opportunity to ensure that we will always be able to do this for the youth who need us. We thank our official Partners 4 Youth and look forward to adding your group to the list.

Questions? Contact Lisa Jacobson, at [email protected] or 763.323.2066, ext. 107.

Community Partner Spotlight

We are excited to share that HOPE 4 Youth was named the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce's 2018 Excellence in Business Awards: Not-For-Profit recipient. The award recognizes us for our performance, innovation and community commitment.

"We are thrilled to be recognized by the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce! The irony is that this award recognizes businesses for their community commitment. We feel it is the community that is committed to our youth, making an award like this possible," said Lisa Jacobson, President and CEO. “This is an exciting time at HOPE 4 Youth and receiving an award for innovation is fitting now as we launch The HOPE Movement. While still serving youth who are homeless as our core program, we are also addressing the leading indicators or the root cause of youth homelessness to prevent young people from ever having to walk through our doors in the future. We cannot do this without the commitment of our community, including the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce.”

HOPE 4 Youth was nominated by Chamber Member Tess DeGeest of the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation for our work. She said, “HOPE 4 Youth has become a solid, growing, leader in ending youth homelessness in the North Metro and in Minnesota.”

Thank you MetroNorth Chamber for selecting us for this award - we're proud to be a member of the Chamber!

We also want to congratulate our fellow award recipients Infinite Campus , Instrumental Research, and QC Dance-Blaine . We're honored to be recognized for our community commitment alongside you.

HOPE 4 Youth Supporters in the Spotlight

It only seemed fitting that we highlight the many people who are changing lives every day at HOPE 4 Youth by supporting us at this year's The Darkest Night of Your Life 4K .

The words "thank you" cannot adequately express our appreciation to everyone who played a part in this year's The Darkest Night of Your Life 4K. Because of each of you, it was the most successful 4K we've had, raising more than $60,000 for HOPE Place... The following are just a few highlights from this year's 4K:

More than 650 people participated in the 4K, experiencing many of the same things as homeless youth, including rain. The Largest Team Award went to the Chain of Lakes Church Fireflies, in honor of Valarie Owens 70th birthday.
Many of the participants raised funds through their networks with the Top Fundraising Team honors going once again to the amazing Midnight Maniacs and the Top Individual Fundraiser honors to their captain Kim Dahmen Mellem.
More donations were made and raised than in any of the previous 4Ks - thank you to all who donated!
We had 14 businesses and individuals sponsor the 4K - thank you for getting behind HOPE 4 Youth and the work we do to end youth homelessness in the community.
Our volunteers were rockstars who made the event run smoothly from registering and checking-in participants to cheering participants on at the finish line - in the rain.
A special thank you to Tim Anderson at Bunker Hills and his team who were amazing hosts once again!

There were so many amazing highlights from the evening that we are sure we missed above. If you played a role in those highlights please know we thank you as well. We look forward to seeing all of you at next year's 4K!

HOPE 4 Youth Needs

Without the support of the community, we would not be able to meet the needs of the youth who need us. If you'd like to donate items that the youth need, you can find a list of our current needs on our Top Needs List. Items can be droped-off on Wednesdays & Saturdays from 9 a.m.-noon at our Donations Center.

You can also shop our Amazon Wish List for items that provide budget-relief which allows us to utilize our funds on programming - an easy way to donate items that ship directly to HOPE 4 Youth. Don’t forget to use Amazon Smile when you checkout - a percentage of your purchase will be donated back to HOPE 4 Youth.

While you're at it, why not consider getting your network involved by holding a donation drive? You could ask for items on our Amazon Wish List, cash and/or gift cards. To learn more about drives email [email protected] .